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Surrey Police Launch Unit to Investigate Extortion of South Asian Community

Police are joining forces with the RCMP to encourage unreported victims to come forward at an upcoming community safety forum

A police car outside the Abbotsford home of Satwinder Sharma. The businessman was shot to death at his office in Surrey on Wednesday.
The murder of businessman Satwinder Sharma at his Fleetwood office on June 11 has many in Surrey's South Asian community on edge. Homicide investigators believe the shooting was targeted, but are not linking it to an extortion scheme that has been ongoing for more than two years.
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Police at the scene of a shooting at an office building in Fleetwood on Wednesday.

Overview

  • Surrey Police Service has formed a specialized extortion investigations team in response to at least ten threats against the South Asian community over the past six months.
  • Officers are collaborating with provincial and national RCMP to coordinate investigations alongside other Canadian jurisdictions facing similar threats.
  • Police link last year’s extortion campaign, which led to arsons and shootings, to organized crime groups operating out of Punjab, India.
  • RCMP Chief Supt. Wendy Mehat warned that some victims may have paid demands without reporting them and urged anyone targeted to contact authorities.
  • The new unit will participate in a community safety forum this Sunday to build trust and educate residents on avoiding and reporting extortion attempts.